A Jealous Detour
by lostinwanderland
Summary: After detransforming, Adrien couldn't help noticing how annoyingly extravagant the recently akumatized civilian boy was acting as he thanked Ladybug. So, of course, he HAD to take a detour home. Short drabble for Ladrien June. Enjoy!
1. A Jealous Detour

Disclaimer: characters of MLB do not belong to me.

Short little drabble for Ladrien June - Day 8 - Jealousy

by tumblr user charme-miraculeux

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"Oh, no, Chat Noir!" she cried out. "You're about to detransform!"

Acknowledging one of the last warning beeps from his ring, he nodded at her, his heart pounding with anxiety. At this rate, he wouldn't have time to fly directly home with his baton. Good thing his house was not far from Chloe's hotel.

"Right you are, milady!" he said. Giving her his classic salute, he took off with a sprint around the corner of the hotel and slid behind the wall. With a rushing gust of wind, Plagg flew out of his ring and into his hands.

"That was a close one," Adrien sighed, peeking out behind the wall to look back at Ladybug. The recently akumatized victim was a young boy around his age from another class who was now taking Ladybug's hand as she pulled him up onto his feet. As he stood next to Ladybug, it suddenly bothered Adrien that this guy was slightly taller than himself. Also, was Ladybug into brunettes? Because now that the akuma had been purified, Adrien couldn't help noticing how annoyingly luscious his brown locks were.

 _Don't think about it_ , he told himself, walking casually back out into the sunlight. After all, that guy was just a nobody, just another random civilian, right? It would probably be best if he headed straight home.

"Thank you for saving me, Ladybug," he heard him say. "You are truly as magnificent in person as I imagined you to be—if not more."

 _On second thought...it wouldn't hurt to circle the long way around the hotel..._

"Psst, Adrien," said Plagg from inside his jacket. "You're going the wrong way."

"I know," he whispered back. "Just bear with me for a second."

His ears on high alert, Adrien snuck another peek at them out of the corner of his eye and saw to his horror that Mr. Brunette was raising Ladybug's hand up to kiss it. His heart clenched. Boiling hot flames licked the insides of his stomach until he felt his face burn— _only_ _ **he**_ _was allowed to do that!_

"Any chance you can transform me again right now before we get home?" Adrien said urgently to Plagg out of the side of his mouth. "This is an emergency."

"Do you have any more Camembert on you?" the kwami asked in return.

"No, you ate the last piece."

"Then no," Plagg said simply. "And don't give me that look! You know I have no energy, and if we make this detour, it'll be even longer before I get my cheese—"

Adrien forcibly shoved Plagg deeper into his pocket as he neared Ladybug and the other boy. Without Chat Noir, he would have to think of another way to interrupt this unnecessarily lengthy and extravagant display of gratefulness. Perhaps he could pass by nonchalantly and hope Ladybug notices? Or maybe he could tell the boy his mother was _oh so worried_ after watching the news and demanded him home at once? _Or maybe I could just punch Mr. Brunette and his perfect little teeth—_

"A-Adrien?" he heard Ladybug's voice say.

He stopped in his tracks and looked up at her. They were now within a few feet of each other and Ladybug was staring at him with a mildly surprised expression.

"What are you—" she started, then looked behind him at Chloe's hotel. "I—er—didn't see you during the akuma attack but...were you visiting Chloe?"

Adrien wasn't sure if he just imagined it, but he could have sworn her tone had changed from confusion to steely irritation at the mention of Chloe's name.

"Uh, yes?—I mean—" he changed tactics at once when he saw her face fall—apparently the correct answer was—"No. No, I wasn't."

She gave him a smile that made his heart feel ten times lighter, but then he looked down and saw to his displeasure that Mr. Brunette was still holding onto Ladybug's hand. He had to get rid of him _now_.

"Actually, I was just walking by when the akuma attack ended and uh, I really need your help, Ladybug," he invented off the top of his head.

"Oh? What happened?" she asked with concern. Letting go of Mr. Brunette's hand— _mission accomplished!_ —she turned to face him.

"I'll tell you after you take me home," Adrien said.

"But I've got about five minutes before I detransform," she said. "And—"

"And I wasn't done thanking her," Mr. Brunette interjected.

"Alright, fine," Adrien shrugged, disappointed. He turned to leave. "I'm obviously getting in the way."

"I'm sorry, it was very nice meeting you, but I should go," he heard her say behind his back. Smirking, he continued walking, hoping Ladybug would soon follow. He had just registered the other boy stuttering, "W-wait, what?" when, without warning, Adrien felt a slender arm hook him around his chest in a vice-like grip and his stomach dropped out of him as his feet left the ground beneath him.

He couldn't believe it: he was flying through the air with Ladybug holding tightly onto him. The adrenaline that filled him from the initial shock of being lifted up into the sky was intensified tenfold by their tantalizing proximity. Her side-swept bangs fluttered majestically with the wind and her beautiful azure eyes looked determinedly onward towards his mansion, which they were now fast approaching. He could count the little freckles peeking out beneath her mask.

Within the next minute, she flew both of them into the open window of his room and let him go. He lamented the loss of her touch, but only one thought ran through his mind: Ladybug had flown him back here. She had chosen _him_.

"S-so, um, what did you need help with?" she asked again, shyly looking around his room.

"I didn't think you'd actually take me home," he said, feeling stupid now. "I just thought—"

 _Beep-beep_.

"Ah, no," she said, backing away towards the window. She only had two spots left on her earring. "I'm sorry, but whatever it is you need, it's going to have to wait until next time."

"I think," he said, his smile widening as he walked closer to her, "you've already helped me out enough this time."

Taking her hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. Unlike when he did this as Chat Noir, she didn't pull away. Also unlike when he did this as Chat Noir, she completely froze, her mouth wide open in astonishment. _Take that, Mr. Brunette! Only_ _ **I'm**_ _allowed to do this_.

The thirty seconds leading up to the final beep seemed to take an eternity as they continued to stare at each other—her, stunned; him, grinning. Adrien savored every bit of it.

 _Beep-beep_.

"AH!" She screamed, jolting out of her reverie. Her frantically fumbling hands flailed about her. It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. "Sorry—can't stay—gotta go—goodbye!"

And without another word, she swung her yo-yo outside and flew off into the sunset, leaving Adrien to lean his elbow on the windowsill and stare after her retreating figure. Sighing contently, he rested his chin on his arm.

"Goodbye...my Lady."

* * *

Plagg: So where's my cheese?!


	2. Just This Once

A/N: Wrote a continuation for Ladrien June Day 16! Thanks guys for all the reviews and faves. I love you all. :)

(tumblr user: charme-miraculeux)

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"Well, _that_ was an interesting development, Marinette," Tikki said, her mouth full of the cookies her miraculous owner had just handed her.

They were back in Marinette's room, having arrived at the corner in front of her house just before she detransformed behind a bus stop. She had grabbed a handful of cookies for Tikki on her way upstairs after giving her mother a swift kiss on the cheek and was now twirling around in her room.

"Interesting?" she said, making a final leap and collapsing onto her couch. "Tikki, it was the most wonderful thing that has ever happened!"

"Oh, Marinette. When will you learn how to control your emotions?" Tikki said, laughing as Marinette continued to lie there, completely dazed and elated. When she didn't respond for another minute, Tikki rolled her eyes. "Okay, but seriously. Earth to Marinette?"

Marinette snapped up into a seated position with the biggest grin on her face.

"I have to see him again!" she squealed, then, looking out of her window at the blood orange sunset, added, "Tonight!"

"What?!" Tikki exclaimed, flying up to her at once, the second half of the cookie left behind on the desk. "Marinette, think about what you're saying. You have a duty and a responsibility as Ladybug that you absolutely _cannot_ take lightly."

"I know, but hear me out on this," Marinette said. "Adrien did mention he needed my help on something and I had to detransform before he could tell me, so why shouldn't I go and see him? Responsibility and all?"

"Your motivations aren't aligned properly," her kwami said firmly, landing herself in Marinette's hands.

"It's just…one time?" Marinette asked hopefully. "I mean, if he really did need my help, and I got to help him _and_ talk to him again, then it would all work out in the end, right? What's the harm in that?"

"I'm concerned you'll make a habit out of this," Tikki said. "You can't keep making excuses just because you can't keep your emotions in check."

"Alright, alright," Marinette sighed. She knew Tikki was right, albeit harsh, but she still really wanted to see Adrien. Just this one time.

"Look, I understand what you're saying and I take it to heart," she said. "I can be responsible for myself."

"That's great," Tikki said, returning to her cookie. Munching on the rest of it, she added, "I'm glad you agree that looking for him without a real cause for concern is not the best idea, then."

"Right," Marinette agreed, waiting for Tikki to finish the last bite of her cookie.

"I'm proud of you," Tikki said. When she finally swallowed the last crumb, Marinette stood up. "That's very mature of—"

"Which is why I'm very sorry to say—Tikki, _transform me_!"

Any protests the kwami might have had were drowned out as she was sucked into the earrings, restoring Marinette back into her Ladybug suit.

"I'm sorry, Tikki," she said out loud as she stepped up onto her balcony. "But this is only going to be a one time thing. I promise."

And with that, she threw her yo-yo out around the next building's spire and flew up into the sky.

Landing upon Adrien's mansion, she hooked her yo-yo around a pole and slowly lowered herself hanging upside down to his window. He was mindlessly spinning around in his desk chair holding a pencil between his teeth, looking as dazed as she did moments before back in her room. _What is he writing? And what is he thinking about?_ It was such an adorable view, she almost didn't want to interrupt whatever he was dreaming about... _almost_.

Tapping gently on the glass pane before her, she saw him look around for the source of the sound. When he spotted her, the pencil dropped from his mouth and he stared at her as though he wasn't quite sure he believed what he was seeing.

Realizing that swinging by _was_ rather an anomaly, she gave him a small wave for good measure. He must have decided then that she wasn't a hallucination because he jumped to his feet at once and ran over to slide the windowpane open.

"Ladybug?" he asked in wonder, sticking his head out to get a closer look at her. She lowered herself further down until they were eye-level, still hanging upside down.

"Hi, Adrien," she said, barely breathing. She had never had such a quiet and intimate moment with him before. The air between them felt intense yet…strangely familiar. "Um—well, I decided to drop by after a quick rest because you hadn't told me what you really needed help with earlier."

"What I...needed help with..." he mumbled, trailing off uncertainly.

"Um, you know..." she said, starting to feel uneasy. Had she misheard or misinterpreted what he had said earlier? "About half an hour ago, when I was talking to the other civilian and you said you needed my help?"

"Oh— _that_!—Er—" he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "That? That's all fine now. It's been taken care of."

"Oh," she said, feeling even more awkward. _Maybe Tikki was right. There was no cause for concern at all..._ "Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah!" he said, looking guiltily at her, "I'm sorry if it caused you any worry but everything is fine and dandy now."

She scrutinized his features, trying to make sure that he really was "fine and dandy" as he said. If there _was_ something bothering Adrien, she would want to know about it. As he continued to show no signs that he was _not_ fine, however, she decided he seemed to be telling the truth.

"…I see," she said eventually. "Okay, then."

"Um, yeah. So…" he began, changing the subject, "since you went through the hassle of making this trip for nothing…would you like to come in and hang out instead?"

"No, no, no, it wasn't a hassle at all!—wait, what?" she wasn't sure if she heard the second half of his sentence correctly. Did he just—?

"I asked if you wanted to come inside," he repeated, smiling that beautiful smile of his. It was so cute her brain seemed to have stopped working.

"Um—I would—I would lo—well…" she trailed off, thinking of Tikki. _Your motivations aren't aligned properly_ , her kwami had warned her. But oh, how badly she wanted to stay with him. "…I'm not sure."

"Oh," he said, sounding…was that disappointment in his voice? _Oh my God, he's disappointed_. Perhaps it was part of the effect of hanging upside down, but upon realizing this, her insides gave a great squirm of delight. "May I ask why?"

"Hum," she said thoughtfully, trying to decide how much she should reveal about her conversation with Tikki. "Let's just say I have this annoying little thing called a conscience that tells me it's a bad idea."

"Ah, well, is there anything I can do to convince your conscience otherwise?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the windowsill. His startling green eyes seemed to act as a magnet, drawing her in until they were way too close.

"You don't need to convince it at all..." she whispered, swaying closer and closer to him. There wasn't enough air between them for her lungs to take in.

"And yet," he said, his warm breath tickling the tip of her nose, "you still can't stay?"

"Better not," she murmured, completely unsure of what she was even saying anymore. Her brain was incredibly fuzzy as she stared into his steadily darkening eyes. His gaze fell upon her lips and she swallowed nervously.

 _"I'm concerned you'll make a habit out of this. You can't keep making excuses just because you can't keep your emotions in check!"_

Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. His hand reached out to cradle her face. At his gentle touch, she sucked in her breath.

 _But, Tikki, just this one time…_

Closing his eyes, he leaned in even closer.

 _…just once._

Her eyes fluttered shut and she swayed forward to meet his lips. She felt soft skin upon soft skin sending waves of electric tremors that spread throughout her entire body. An uncontrollable shiver shot down her spine as his fingers traced her upside-down jawline, deepening the kiss. His tongue slid along her bottom lip and she responded at once, opening her mouth to his, hungry for more. Her hands ran through his golden locks, pulling him even closer, eager to continue sharing gasps of air between their tongues, to feel his teeth tugging at her swollen lips, to hear his soft purrs from the back of his throat...

She didn't want this to end; for the life of her, she couldn't stop, and judging by his incessant lips and shortened breaths, neither could he. It drove her wild to know this—that he, Adrien, son and model of Gabriel Agreste, shared her lack of control, shared her desire to keep going, shared her wish for this—whatever this was—to never end.

 _But it had to, it had to._

With a tremendous amount of effort, she broke away, his lips still seeking hers, trying but failing to maintain contact. It took all the willpower she possessed to resist the magnetism between them and back away further.

Breathing heavily and still trying to catch his breath, he spoke with a low husky voice—the only word that could have made the situation harder than it already was:

"Stay."

Marinette was incredibly grateful that she was not standing up for her knees went weak at his request. She would give anything to hear him say it again. She looked away from his eyes because she knew if she kept gazing into them, she would never leave.

"Adrien, trust me," she said, "You have no idea how much I want to. But I shouldn't."

He let out a defeated sigh that she wished she could take back. "I understand. I just...I want to keep hoping that this isn't going to be a one-time thing."

 _Just this once_ , she had promised Tikki.

"Me too," she said to Adrien.

Then, with one final glance at his mussed hair and star-struck face, she tugged the wire to her yo-yo and zipped up and away.

 _After all_ , she thought to herself as she relived the entire kiss in an elated daze on the way home, _maybe someday, I'll have better reasons for this to become something more than "a one-time thing."_

—

-fin-

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A/N: SO CLEARLY I HAVE A THING FOR ADRIEN ALWAYS WANTING LADYBUG TO STAY BEHIND BECAUSE HE HAS LESS SELF CONTROL, AND LADYBUG IS ALWAYS LIKE "I CAN'T BUT I WANT TO AHHHH" — I'll write about this Ladrien dynamic forever, I swear..


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